A Princess and Her Thief
by KrAzYkAsE
Summary: A princess and a thief fall in love, but the queen doesn't approve of it. What lengths will the couple go to stay together? Will the princess defy her mother in the name of love? (Yes, I suck at summaries, I know.)
1. Chapter One

A Princess and Her Thief **__**

~ A Princess and Her Thief ~ 

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Author's Note: This is the first chapter to my first fanfic! This isn't really like anything in the game. It's more of a story about how times were back then for royalty and poor people to be together… as you will see. Not all the characters of FF9 will be in here. There isn't really much here yet, but yeah. There's nothing really bad here by the way, not yet except for the bad language. It's rated R for future chapters. So go ahead and R/R, please. 

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-- Chapter One --

"Princess, are you ready?"

Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th sat at her vanity table, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Today was her 16th birthday. She had just enough time to get back from her dinner party to change and get ready for the play they were going to see. Tantalus, the theater ship, was coming to Alexandria to perform just for her. Her best friends, Daisy Engels and Annie DuLarde, and her mother, Queen Brahne, would be attending the play as well up on the royal balcony. 

She was dressed in her finest, a lavender gown with white satin and lace given to her by her mother as a birthday present. She wore her usual silver tiara, with her long, dark hair falling down her bare back. Silver earrings dangled from her ears, and the royal pendant hung from her neck. 

"Princess?" she heard General Beatrix's voice sound outside her bedroom chamber door.

"I'll be right there," she called back softly.

She took another look at herself in the mirror. Chocolate brown eyes stared back at her. She touched a small hand to her face. She looked absolutely stunning, that's what Beatrix had said once she had finished helping her get changed. She didn't feel stunning. She felt tired and exhausted. She'd spent the whole day partying with her friends and family, and the last thing she felt like doing was going to a play. But she knew if she didn't go none of the others would. And she knew how much her mother loved the plays, and her friends always loved the view from the balcony. And besides, they were playing her favorite tonight, "I Want to Be Your Canary" by Lord Avon. 

"Princess, please hurry. We're going to be late."

"Yes. I'm coming." She quickly checked herself over once more and then headed for the door, where a tall woman with long, golden hair dressed in uniform known as Beatrix was waiting just outside for her. 

Beatrix smiled as Garnet exited the room and closed the door behind her. "Ah, Princess, are we ready to go?"

She smiled back. "Yes, Beatrix. Are my mother and friends waiting for me on the balcony?"

"Yes, Princess. Shall we?" Beatrix held her arm out in a gesture that she go first.

"Yes." 

-----

"Dear, there you are," her mother greeted her as she walked out onto the balcony. Queen Brahne was seated in her large throne in the center of the balcony. Garnet's was on the right side of the throne, and there were two other seats placed beside her where her friends were sitting.

"Hello Mother," she said as she leaned over to plant a kiss on her cheek before taking her seat. She turned to her friends. "Hello Daisy. Annie." She nodded to them as she said their names.

"Oh, Garnet, you look beautiful," Daisy, the one right beside her said, grinning. "I love your gown. It's beautiful."

Daisy had long, blond curls that fell halfway down her back, and big blue eyes. She was short for her age, about a foot shorter than she was. She had a petite body, and a small, button-round face. She was wearing a pink gown with red floral patterns. 

"Thank you," she replied, smiling.

"Yes. It looks very nice on you," Annie, the one on the other side of Daisy added, smiling as well.

Annie had long, fiery red hair that cascaded down her back, and amazing emerald eyes. She was pretty tall, but a bit too thin for her height. And she had a heart shaped face, much like her own, although hers was speckled with barely noticeable freckles. She was dressed in a white gown with golden embroidery. 

She laughed. "Thank you, girls. You look lovely yourselves."

"Oh, and I see you are wearing the earrings that I gave you," Annie pointed out, sounding pleased.

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you for the gift, Annie. I love them."

"Are you pleased with the gift that I gave you?" Daisy asked.

"Of course. The ring is beautiful, Daisy." She looked down at the ring sitting upon her middle finger. It was a silver ring, with a large silver star studded with Rhine stones on it. It really was beautiful. It almost matched the earrings that Annie gave her. They had tiny little silver stars hanging from the ends of them. She smiled. It touched her how they both remembered how much she loved stars. 

"Shh," Queen Brahne broke into their conversation, bringing a finger to her lips. "The play is about to start."

She sat back in her chair as the lights dimmed up on the stage and the crowd standing below hushed. It was clear out tonight. The full moon hung low in the sky and millions of stars dotted the heavens. She breathed in the sweet smell of the night air as she waited for the play to start. 

Finally the lights went on. Colored lights flashed across the people down below, and bright white lights shot up into the sky and wavered all around. There was a whistling sound as fire works went off, booming loud and raining down in radiant colors. The crowd awed and she even heard her own mother and her friends gasp in amazement at the display. She watched as the pretty colors swirled around in the air and then plummet to the ground. She wished she wasn't so tired, then she might be able to enjoy this more.

She looked over at her mother, who was watching the lights with beady eyes as wide as they could get and a smile on her crimson lips. Her pale, bluish-green skin seemed florescent under the moonlight. She watched as the colored lights danced across her face and saw them reflected in her eyes. Her mother must of sensed her looking at her, for she turned and asked, "Garnet, dear, are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yes, Mother. I'm fine."

Her mother nodded in return then turned her attention back to the stage. Her mother always had the biggest fascination with plays, and rarely ever paid any attention to anything else. She was in love with the drama and acting of it all. She would often at times get all excited about it and get herself all worked up. She herself was a real dramatic. 

Although she wasn't nearly as fervent about plays as her mother was, Garnet shared her love of the drama and acting as well. She enjoyed reading and studying about them too. Reading page after page of script brought her to new places and different worlds and into the lives of people she could never experience in real life. 

The lights and fire works stopped. A spot light lit the stage, and a big man with a pig's snout and long tresses of pink hair mostly hidden under a large golden crown and a mustache growing down into a beard, dressed in a red robe, stepped out from behind the black curtain. He bowed slightly before saying in a deep, raspy voice, "Ladies and Gentlemen..."

-----

Zidane Tribal peered through the black curtain of the theater ship out into the crowd. There were over a hundred people just sitting around the stage. There were probably a hundred more watching from the rooftops and in the castle. 

The ship was filled with the sound of people hustling and bustling about behind the curtain, getting ready to begin the show. Musical instruments played loudly off to the side backstage. They were playing a low beat, dramatic piece for their upcoming scene. All that mixed with the people clapping and cheering in the crowds made it difficult to hear much of anything else. 

His eyes wandered over to Baku, who was reciting the introduction to the play. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago..." He paused to stifle a sneeze. "Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus..."

He glanced backstage just in time to see Ruby rush by him with her costume in hand. She was playing one of the main roles as the Princess Cornelia. Cinna and Marcus followed at her heels, along with two other men whom he didn't know very well. 

He tugged at the collar of his shirt. He was wearing a big, baggy white shirt that had seen better days, and a pair of brown pants and black boots. This was his costume for his part as a fellow peasant friend of Marcus'. It was so hot back here. The steam from the machines used to switch scenes and props and power special effects was making it impossible to breathe. That and all the body heat were overwhelming. 

"She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo," he heard Baku continue with his lines. He'd better get to his place. The play was going to start any minute now. He wondered where Blank was. He hadn't seen him run by with Ruby and the others. 

He turned his attention back towards the crowd, pushing the curtain open a bit wider. He glanced up at the royal balcony. This would be his first time seeing the queen and the princess. He'd seen them in pictures before, but he'd never actually seen them in person. But he wasn't so interested to see the queen as he was to see the princess. He'd seen her portrait, but he wondered if she really was as beautiful as they say. Rumors from people who have seen her have said that she was the fairest maiden in all of Alexandria. With long, thick hair like a curtain of night, and perfect ivory skin. Lips so full and eyes so dark it made a man's heart stop and his mouth go dry.

And then he saw her. Up on the balcony between the queen and two other girls. Indeed, the rumors were true, he thought, eyes widening at the sight of her. She was having a conversation with the two girls at her side. The other girls were quite beautiful too, he noted, but they didn't even come close to Princess Garnet's beauty. 

"Hey, Zidane!" 

He whirled around at the sound of his name to find Blank standing just before him. The young man was just about the same height as him with dark red hair that stood up on end, and one gray eye - the other covered by a large eye patch. He was dressed in a costume almost exactly like his except he was wearing black pants and his shirt was a bit more decent looking.

"Blank," Zidane greeted him, grinning.

"Here." Blank handed him the one of the two swords he'd been carrying. "C'mon, we gotta get to our spots."

"Wait. Have you seen the Princess Garnet yet?" He opened the curtain once again and peered out at the balcony.

"No. I haven't," Blank replied, stepping up to take a look.

He watched Blank's expression - eyes widening and mouth gaping open. "Gorgeous, eh?"

"Damn right," was all he said as he continued to look on. "Her friends aren't that bad either."

"Yeah." 

Blank nodded and closed the curtain. "Alright, now, come on. We gotta get going."

"Right. Let's go."

-----

"...When our story begins, Marcus, having heard of this, crosses swords with the king. And now, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Brahne, Your Highness, Princess Garnet... noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want to Be Your Canary!'" 

Garnet watched as the big man then bowed and turned to walk off stage. The crowds cheered as the curtain was raised and the music changed to more of an up-beat piece. 

A castle, obviously made out of wood, painted to look like it was made of stone stood in the center of the stage. There was a drawbridge and a few small towers off to the side to make it look more realistic. There were also a few plants placed on both sides of the castle, and some around the drawbridge and such. They had a starry night sky background with a big, crescent moon in the center of it. 

"Ooh, I'm so excited," Daisy whispered to her. "I love this play."

She nodded. "Yes. The scenery is very well done too," she added. But no one paid her any attention as the play began.

The drawbridge lowered, and three men stood just inside the castle.

"Berefet of father! Berefet of Mother! Marcus! Thou hast lost even thy love!" one of the men, a tall man with red hair that stood on end, said his lines. 

"Fortune hath escap'd thee! For what end shalt thou live?" another man, a short, pudgy man with a potbelly, and a round face and a big red nose, spoke. 

"For the sake of our friend... Let us bury our steel into the heart of the wretched King Leo!" the third man said. She couldn't get a good look at this man, for he was too far back and was hidden by the darkness.

"Aye!" the two other men said in unison. And then they ran out onto the stage where four other men had come out and were now standing in a half circle around the drawbridge. 

"We shall back thee, kinsman!" the red head exclaimed, drawing out his sword as he stepped up to a hunched over man with a bald head wrapped in a bandana and a mean look on his face, who she assumed to be Marcus.

"Pray, sheathe thy swords! This villain is mine alone!" the bald man shouted, drawing out his own sword.

"Nay, kinsman! For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!" the pudgy man said.

"What ho?" the same man who had given the introduction spoke. "Out, vermin! Away! Thou darest bear thy sword before the king!? All who stand in my way will be crush'd!"

The third man from the drawbridge stepped forward from behind the two men he had come with, and now she was able to see him. He had to be the tallest of them all, besides the king. He had long, golden hair, which was pulled back in a loose ponytail, but most of his hair had fallen around his face. "Treacherous Leo, my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vain! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!" he spoke, taking out his sword as well. 

And the fight began. King Leo took out his sword and his two knights - who looked like two rhinoceroses dressed in armor - came to aid him. 

The redhead and the pudgy man attacked first, going for the two knights, while Marcus and the third man went after King Leo.

"Did you notice that the blond one has a tail?" Daisy leaned over and whispered in her ear.

A tail? Indeed, he had a tail. She watched as he slashed at King Leo with his sword, and she saw his tail, swishing back and forth with every movement. It was like a cat's tail. "Yes," she replied quietly.

"Well, isn't that strange?" Annie joined in. "He looks human, except for that tail. I've never seen one of his kind."

Garnet shook her head, not taking her eyes off the strange man as she scooted forward in her seat. 

-----

"William? How's it goin'?" Ruby called out as she stepped up from the ladder. They were directly above the stage, on the rigging where William was working the lights. "Ya got it all fixed now?"

William looked up from his spot next to his toolbox, leaning over the edge to work on one of the lights. "I think so. Quite a few of the lights were loose. I hope I got them all screwed in tight."

Ruby nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

"You all set for your big role?" William grinned. "You nervous?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I've done this millions of times. And besides, I was made for the stage!" She posed, placing a hand on her hip and the other raised in the air. "I'm a born actress, ya know." She winked.

William chuckled. "I bet you are."

"You be doubtin' me?" she challenged, cocking an eyebrow.

"No. I've seen you act. You're pretty good."

"Pretty good?" she smirked. "You mean damn good!"

He laughed. "Yes. Damn good." He started picking up his tools. "Well anway, you better get goin'. Good luck to ya."

"Thanks, sugar, but I won't be needin' any luck." And with one last wink, she turned on her heel and headed back down the ladder. 

-----

__

No, you fool! Get up! Garnet was on the edge of her seat; hands balled up in fists on her lap. They were nearing the end of the fight. It hadn't lasted long, but they had used clever sword art that made up for it. And now Marcus was on the ground, with King Leo hovering over him with his broad sword pointed at his neck. 

The redhead and the pudgy man were advancing on the two knights, swinging their swords around in front of them. "Ugh! Retreat!" the knights cried as they threw down their swords and ran off stage.

King Leo whirled around. "Wait! You fools! Don't leave me!"

Marcus took advantage of the King's fury on his knights and jumped to his feet. He raised his sword high above his head and brought it down on the King's shoulder. 

King Leo yelped in pain and the crowd gasped. Garnet even heard her own mother's dramatic gasp of shock. She watched as King Leo limped his way to the castle, pausing on the steps the lead him to the top. "Arrg... Grr... Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!" And with that, King Leo made his escape. 

"Come back!" the blond man called after him. He ran up the steps after him, but the red haired man blocked his way. "Out of the way, Blank!"

"Consider this, Zidane," Blank began. "If Prince Shneider were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both their kingdoms!"

Zidane shook his head. "'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"

Another battle was to begin. Zidane drew out his sword as Blank ran up the steps. He caught up to him near the edge of the castle. 

Blank took out his own sword as well and slashed at Zidane. "En garde!" he shouted as he did so.

"Expect no quarter from me!" Zidane replied as he dodged one of Blank's attacks and went to slash at his arm, but missed when Blank suddenly jumped into the air and landed on the ground below. He jumped after him and followed him across the stage. 

They were about to run out on one of the bridges that went out into the crowd when there was a loud creaking sound from above. 

-----

What was that? Zidane looked up just in time to see one of the large spotlights fall from the rigging above the stage. 

"Zidane, look out!!!" Blank shouted. 

Blank lunged forward, knocking him out of the way. He skidded across the floor, tearing his shirt on a nail that hadn't been hammered in all the way and puncturing a wound to his right shoulder. "Blank!" he grunted in pain as he pushed himself up on his knees. 

There was a crash. Pieces of wood flew in all directions and there was a loud cry. The crowd gasped.

"Blank!" Zidane shouted again as he jumped to his feet and ran to center of the stage, where the spotlight had fallen. 

There was a large indentation in the wooden floor, with pieces of broken wood and little splinters that surrounded the fallen spot light, dust hovering just above it. And Blank lay in the middle of it. The spotlight had landed right on top of his right leg. Blood gushed from the wound it had caused. He'd obviously broken his leg by the way it was twisted. He had scrapes and cuts all over his arms and upper torso - from the wood no doubt. There were probably more cuts on his body, but he couldn't see them with the spotlight on top of him. 

"Oh my God! Blank!" Zidane cried in horror. 

Baku ran up beside him. "Holy shit," he muttered. "Someone get a doctor, quick!"

-----

Garnet gasped. She watched as the pudgy man, Marcus and the rest of the people on stage surrounded the injured Blank, blocking him from view. 

"Is there a doctor in the house!?" Baku shouted over the people. 

"Steiner," Brahne called for her faithful knight. Captain Aldebert Steiner of the Pluto Knights. 

"Yes, my Queen?" Steiner saluted, standing upright.

"Go find Doctor Tot."

"Right away, Your Highness," and with that he ran off to find Doctor Tot.

"Mother..." Garnet trailed off, unable to finish her question. How could her mother possibly know? She couldn't see anymore of what was going on than she could.

But Brahne knew. "It's alright, dear. He'll be fine."

"How awful," Daisy murmured, bringing a hand up to her face. 

Garnet ignored them. She was now focused on the man known as Zidane. The look on his face was pure shock and disbelief. She could imagine the guilt he felt. They were obviously good friends, and if it weren't for Blank, Zidane would be the one lying there. She felt sorry for him. 

"Poor man," Annie said quietly, shaking her head.

__

Poor Zidane, she thought. "How could this have happened?" 

"I don't know," Brahne spoke. "But it will be fine. Do not worry. Doctor Tot will take care of everything."

A sick feeling rose in her stomach. The whole scene played in her mind again. The loud crash and Blank's painful screams along with the screams of others. She closed her eyes. 

"Beatrix, take the girls to their bed chambers," Brahne ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." Beatrix stepped forward. "Princess, Lady Daisy, Lady Annie, come with me, please."

-----

"It's alright, Your Highness," Baku shook his head, strands of pink hair falling around his face. "After Doctor Tot patches him up we'll head straight back to Lindblum."

"No," Brahne snapped. She was determined that Baku and his band stay at her castle until Blank fully recovered. "I insist. There's so reason for you to travel all the way back to Lindblum. Blank and another one of your men was injured and--"

"It's no biggy. As soon as we get back to Lindblum I'll have them both rest up and get better."

"But I feel awful for what happened. I'd feel much better if you recuperated here."

Baku fell silent. She could tell he didn't like relying on other people for help. He was the leader. He felt he should be the one to take care of his group. But she could also see that he didn't want to travel back to Lindblum. At least not tonight.

"Alright," he finally said, nodding. "But as soon as Zidane's better and Blank can get on his feet, we'll leave."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He shook his head. "No. Thank you."

-----

"This is terrible," Daisy said as she flopped down on Garnet's large, four poster bed. They were all dressed in their nightgowns and were now just getting ready for bed. "I can't believe what happened to that poor man... What was his name?"

"Blank," Garnet replied from her place at her vanity table, running a silver brush through her long dark hair. "Or at least that was his character's name."

"Yes," Daisy continued. "How awful... Imagine the pain and humiliation of it all."

"Mmm," Annie nodded as she flopped down next to Daisy, holding the end of her long, thick braid in one hand, and her hair ribbon in the other. "The poor man." She tied the ribbon around the end of her braid.

Daisy looked down at the skirt of her nightgown. "I don't think I could have lived through that. I would have either died from shock and pain or humiliation or even both."

"I don't think the people in the crowd really mattered to him at the moment," Garnet thought aloud. She set the brush down on her vanity. She decided not to braid it tonight. She hated how it would be all curly when she undid it in the morning. 

The grandfather clock sitting in the corner next to her vanity gonged ten times. 

"He was very brave though," Annie commented after the final gong. "I only heard him cry out once when the spot light fell on him. After that he was silent."

Garnet recalled that too, but her mind was centered on something else. "And poor Zidane..."

"Poor Zidane?" Daisy sounded surprised. 

She nodded. "Yes. The blond haired man with the tail." She paused, taking a long strand of hair and began twirling it around her index finger. "He and Blank were obviously good friends... Did you see the look on his face?"

"The same look was on the rest of the people's faces."

She shook her head. "No. If it weren't for Blank, Zidane would've been the one severely injured."

Daisy frowned. 

Garnet got up from her seat and walked over to the bed. After sitting down next to Annie, she continued, "He feels guilty. Even though it wasn't his fault. Because Blank jumped in the way for _him_." 

"How do you know this?" Daisy asked.

"Common sense," Annie smirked, flicking Daisy on the side of the head. 

"Shut up."

Garnet laughed. 

Just then there was a knock at her door. General Beatrix cracked open the door and stepped in. "It's time to go to sleep, girls. We've all had a long, busy day." 

"Yes. I agree," Daisy said, following with a yawn as she got up from the bed. "Let's all call it a night and get some rest, hmm?" And with that she went to her side of the bed and got under the covers.

Annie followed, crawling to the middle of the bed.

And then Garnet finally crawled in next to Annie. 

Beatrix smiled. "Alright, girls. Good night." She blew out the candles then left.

It was dark. Except for the moon and stars glowing brightly through her bed chamber windows. A gentle breeze came flowing in, offering relief from the heat of the summer night. But Garnet could not sleep. 

Shortly after Beatrix left, Daisy and Annie had drifted right off to sleep. But Garnet didn't feel the slightest bit tired. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened at the play. It was terrible. She felt bad for Blank because of his injury. She hadn't heard anything of his injury yet, but she'd probably know by tomorrow morning. And the members of Tantalus, the actors and of course their leader, Baku. 

But the odd thing was those things didn't bother her as much as the look on that man named Zidane. The look in his eyes when he laid eyes on his friend. Shock, disbelief, grief, guilt - all those things. The way he called out Blank's name and ran to his friend's side. It all hit her in a way she didn't understand. 

She got up from her bed and walked over to the window, careful not to wake Annie and Daisy. Why should she be feeling this way? She was positive that the others felt the same way too. He was their friend too, and a member of Tantalus, was he not? 

She shook her head, angry with herself. She didn't even know this man. This was her first time seeing him and it was from a distance. So why did his feelings and reactions mean anything to her? 

__

Stop this, Garnet, you're being ridiculous, she scolded herself. _Just go back to bed and get some sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow and you need your rest. Just forget about everything and get some rest._

But she couldn't get to sleep. The more she allowed herself to think about tonight's events, the more her mind kept wandering back to Zidane. And the more her mind wandered back to Zidane, the more she wondered why she was thinking of him. It was an endless cycle. She was so desperate to forget about this mess and get to sleep that she thought about marching down to Zidane's and Blank's room to see how they were doing. Maybe after she saw that they were both doing better she might be able to put her mind at ease. But her more rational self told her to stay put. It was foolish. What if one of them were awake or they woke up while she was in their room? That wouldn't be good. No. She'd just have to use her will power to push these thoughts out of her mind...

__

*****

A/N: So, what'd you think? I know it's not much, but it's just the first chapter. There will be many more to come. I'm not sure how many yet, though. If you see any spelling or grammar mistakes that bother you, please point them out to me and I will try to fix them, okay? 

***** 


	2. Chapter Two

 **__**

~ A Princess and Her Thief ~ 

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_*****_

A/N: Well, here it is, the second chapter! I've been getting pretty good reviews so far. Thank you all, by the way. Um, still nothing fitting the R rating yet. I'd say PG-13 for swearing and usage of drugs and stuff like that. Not much is happening yet. Garnet and Zidane's romance probably won't blossom until the third or forth chapter. Oh, and I also realized that I didn't give the ages for the characters. They're not all the same age as in the game:

Garnet, Daisy & Annie: 16

Zidane, Blank & Cinna: 18

Brahne: 40

Baku: 36

Steiner: 30

Beatrix: 27

And there you have it. So R/R and enjoy! 

*****

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-- Chapter Two --

Zidane squinted as he felt a bright light spill into the room. It was no doubt the sun, he thought to himself, feeling the sun's rays warm on his face. He began to slowly open his eyes, but then quickly closed them again at the brightness of the sun. He rolled onto his side, away from the sunlight. He was on a bed. A soft, comfortable bed. Not like the hard, stiff bunk beds they had on the theater ship. 

"Zidane? You awake?" He heard Cinna's loud, scratchy voice.

He groaned. Where was he? What time was it?

"Zidane! Time to get up!"

He groaned again, taking his pillow and covering his head with it. He was so tired. His head ached, his butt ached, his tail felt numb (had he slept on it all night?), his eye lids felt like they weighed a ton, and he couldn't find the strength to get up. Slowly, the events of last night came back to him. He remembered the play. He remembered performing before Queen Brahne and Princess Garnet. He remembered the accident and Blank getting injured... 

He felt a pair of big hands rest on his shoulders, then shake him roughly. "Zidane!" Cinna called out again. "Zidane, it's almost noon! Time to get up!"

He opened his eyes, the bright light blinding him. He squinted until his eyes adjusted to the light. He turned his head to look at Cinna's big, round, blemished face and abnormally big brown eyes staring down at him. He had to force himself not to look disgusted. "I'm awake, I'm awake," he grumbled as he attempted to bring himself up on his elbows, but then stopped as a sharp pain seared through his right shoulder. "Ah, shit!" he cursed out loud.

Cinna laughed. "Oh yeah, the spell must've worn off, huh?"

Zidane glared at him as he flopped down on his back. "Yeah..." He looked down at the wound in his shoulder. It was wrapped in a white cloth - well, it used to be white, but now it was a brownish-red color from the bleeding. "Where am I?"

Cinna laughed again. "You're in the castle."

"Castle?" He looked around at his surroundings. Four stone walls surrounded him. There was a large red cloth hanging from the wall across from him with a painting of the waterfall Alexandria sat upon. There was one glass pained window right next to his bed, and two small wooden tables on either side of the bed. Well, this definitely wasn't the theater ship, that's for sure. "We're still in Alexandria?"

"Yep. Queen Brahne's havin' us stay 'til Blank's well enough to get on his feet. Then we're headin' back to Lindblum."

"Blank... How's he doin'?" he asked, concern filling his voice for his friend. 

Cinna shook his head, frowning. "He's fine now. But that spot light did a helluva job on his leg--"

The door creaked open and a young woman with light brown hair dressed in a blue dress walked in, carrying a bowl with water and a towel slung over her shoulder. "Oh. I'm sorry," she apologized quickly when she realized Cinna's presence. "I didn't know there was anyone else in here. I'm here to tend to Sir Zidane's wound."

Zidane smiled when she called him 'sir'. "Hear that, Cinna? She called me 'sir'."

Cinna smirked. "Uh-huh." 

The woman walked to the edge of his bed and set the bowl on the table. She reached for the bandage on his shoulder, and as gently as she could, started peeling it off. He winced when the cloth got stuck on some dry blood. She apologized and tried pulling it off more slowly, trying to make it as less painful as possible. He got impatient with her and pulled it off himself. He cursed as it tared at the scab that had formed there, opening it up and causing fresh blood to flow. 

"I'm sorry," the woman apologized. She grabbed the towel off her shoulder and dipped it in the bowl of water. "You should've let me do it." She dabbed the towel on his shoulder.

"So, what'd the doctor say 'bout Blank? They patch him up?" he asked while the woman continued to clean his shoulder. 

"He broke two bones in his leg. His Tibia and his Fibula..." Cinna shivered at that. "The doctor set the bones back in place and put his leg in a cast. But he said Blank won't be able to get out of bed for at least a week or two."

"Damn," Zidane muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "What about the spot light? They figure out how that happened?"

Cinna shrugged. "William had been working on them earlier - right before the play. He said there were a few loose and he went to fix them... he thought he tightened them all, but..." 

Zidane nodded in understanding. William was the handy man aboard Tantalus. He did most of the repairs. He was good at what he did. He'd kept the theater ship going for about ten years ever since he joined Tantalus. But he was getting quite old - he was maybe in his mid eighties or early nineties - and senile. It was understandable for him to have forgotten, or even underestimated, one of the spot lights last night. 

The woman finished cleaning his shoulder and put a new bandage on the wound. "Thank you," Zidane said, smiling his gratitude, as she left.

Cinna sighed. "Alright. Well, I better get goin' now. Marcus's waitin' for me down at the pub."

"Okay. See ya later then."

"Yep. See ya."

After Cinna left, Zidane pushed himself up on his bed. His shoulder still hurt, but not as bad as before. He wondered why the woman hadn't cast another healing spell. He remembered they did last night, but his wound had gone so deep that one simple healing spell couldn't heal it all the way. They'd wanted to wait it over night to see if it would heal on its own, but it hadn't. 

He'd better get dressed, he thought as he scooted to the edge of the bed. Cinna said it was almost noon. He never usually slept in this late and he hated being the last one up. 

Suddenly there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," Zidane called when whoever it was didn't enter the room.

The door creaked open and Princess Garnet stepped in. 

His eyes widened. Princess Garnet? What was she doing here? 

Her cheeks flushed when she noticed his bare chest and she looked down at the floor. 

Zidane smirked in amusement. So, the princess was prude, was she?

"Excuse me," she said softly, not taking her eyes off the floor. "I-I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing."

"I'm fine now, Princess," he said politely. "Thank you." 

She looked up at his face, but said nothing. 

He looked her over for a moment. She was still as beautiful as she had been last night. Her long, dark her cascaded down her back, with a few short strands falling around her face, framing it nicely. She wasn't wearing her tiara now. Her big brown eyes, centered on her soft, delicate, heart-shaped skin, sparkled in the sunlight shining in from the window. Her full lips pursed together, as if in deep thought. His eyes lingered there. Oh, how he'd love to taste those lips--

She shifted, her white gown with tiny blue flowers printed on it swishing on the floor as she moved. She was nervous, he observed, grinning inwardly. But she seemed to be checking him out as well.

Her eyes fell on the bandage on his shoulder, and, forgetting her lady-like manners, she stepped up to his bedside. "You're hurt..." she said, reaching out a hand to touch it, but stopped herself and drew it back quickly before even touching it. 

He looked down at his shoulder then back up at her. "This? This is nothing," he said, shrugging, but winced as pain flowed through his shoulder from the movement. 

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern filled her voice. "Didn't they treat you with anything for it?"

"They cast a healing spell on it last night, but the wound was too deep to fully heal," he explained as he went to stand up. "A woman came in earlier and cleaned up, but she didn't cast anything on it."

"That was Gloria. She isn't well experienced with white magic." She stepped closer and placed a hand over the bandage.

At first he was surprised. She seemed so reluctant to even go near him earlier and now she was touching him. But then he felt a cool sensation seep into his skin and into the wound and he knew she was only healing him. He watched as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the healing spell. And once she was finished with the spell, she removed her hand and stepped back. 

He moved his shoulder. The pain was gone. He took off the bandage and found that the wound was gone as well. There was only a small scar left in its place. He looked up at her. "Thanks."

She smiled. She had a beautiful smile. "You're welcome..."

He stood up, wagging his tail back and forth as he did, trying to get some feeling back into it, and went for his shirt that was folded neatly on the floor. He picked it up and put it on but didn't bother to button it. "How's Blank doing? Have you seen him or heard anything about him...?" He trailed off at the end of his question. He found it odd that she was checking on _him_ anyhow. Why would a princess take time off her busy schedule to check on him? He was sure she had plenty to do. And she had plenty of servants. They could check on him for her. There was no need for her to make a personal appearance. 

She nodded. "Yes. He's doing... fine, now."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh? When did you see him?"

"Right before I came to see you." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She was really nervous. Maybe even scared. Scared of what? Of him? Why? 

"Well, that's good..." 

"Yes." She looked away from him. "You missed breakfast. Lunch will be served in about a half hour in the dining room."

"Okay. Just let me get changed and I'll meet you there." He really wanted to bathe first. He felt dirty and sweaty from yesterday, but decided against requesting one.

"Alright." And with that, she turned and went for the door.

"Oh, and Princess," Zidane said right as she reached for the door handle. When she turned to face him, he said with a wry grin, "Happy Sweet Sixteenth." He watched as she blushed fiercely and then whirled around and exited the room, slamming the door behind her.

-----

__

You fool! Garnet scolded herself once she had left the room. _What were you thinking!?_ She stalked down the long hallway leading to the study and nearly plowed into Gloria, who was watering a vase of roses. "Forgive me," she apologized quickly, picking up the pitcher of water she'd knocked on the floor and handed it back to Gloria before continuing on her way.

She must've been insane to even _think_ about going to see those men. She'd told herself that she'd just take a quick peek to see how they were doing. But no, she had to go in and talk with them as well. And what a fool she'd made of herself. 

Blank had been asleep when she entered his room, but he awoke when the old wooden door groaned in protest to open any farther. They'd cleaned him up. By the looks of it - from what she could see through his half un-buttoned shirt - he had quite a few scabs over his arms, on his shoulders and across his chest. His leg was put in a cast and they had it propped up on a couple of pillows at the end of the bed. They'd cast a healing spell on it. It would heal, eventually. But unfortunately, they didn't have a strong enough spell or potion to dull the pain. 

And what a ruckus he'd made. For someone who barely made a noise when a spotlight fell on him, he sure did a lot of whining and complaining about the aftermath. She'd have stayed nearly as long with him as she did with Zidane. She felt rude, but she just couldn't stand him. 

When she went to see Zidane, she'd hoped he'd be asleep too, but she had no such luck. Zidane was wide awake, sitting up in his bed and bare chested. And she'd frozen in her place and looked down at the ground like she'd seen something she wasn't supposed to. But he'd made no move to cover himself, and she'd heard him smirk at her. Right then and there she regretted ever going there. And to make matters worse, she'd stammered when she spoke to him. She'd felt his eyes on her, roaming over her. She'd been nervous, of course. She wasn't used to men checking her out. But while he did so, she dared to check him out as well. 

He was gorgeous. She'd seen many good-looking men, but this one put them all to shame. His blond hair had fallen out of its ponytail that he had last night, and it fell to the base of his neck. He had the most beautiful deep blue eyes she'd ever seen. And when he looked her in the eye with them she had to look away to keep herself from getting lost within their depths. He had full lips, full and supple. He had a pert nose, high cheekbones and a handsome jaw-line. He had a nice body too, she admitted shamefully - it had been her first time to actually see a man half-naked. She hadn't observed much of his body, but she saw that he had a strong neck and broad shoulders. Muscles rippled through his chest, his stomach and his arms, and she assumed everywhere else on his body, but she didn't look long enough to find out, for she stopped once she noticed the bandage on his shoulder. 

She'd healed his wound. He'd seemed grateful for that, and it had brought a smile to her lips. He'd talked to her, about Blank. And while they did, she'd stood there like a scared little girl, fidgeting with her hands and moving back and forth. He wasn't stupid, she knew that. She knew he knew she was nervous around him. And yes, that bothered her, but it didn't as much as wondering _why_ she was nervous around him. There was something about him. Something different and strange; something that intrigued her very much so--

"Garnet!"

Garnet stopped and turned in the direction of the voice. It was Annie. "Annie?" 

Annie ran up to her, holding up the skirt of her navy blue gown as she went. "There you are! 

We've been looking _everywhere_ for you! Daisy's still searching for you upstairs."

"I'm sorry..." she said softly. 

"It's alright. But where were you, anyway?"

"I went to check on Blank and that Zidane boy..." 

Annie arched an eyebrow. "Did you?" She swept a long strand of red hair off her shoulder. "And how are they doing?"

Garnet sighed. She was humiliated enough as it was. She didn't need her friends becoming curious and asking questions. She _really_ didn't feel like talking about her visit with Zidane. "Blank-" she shook her head in disgust at remembering her little meeting with him. "-seems to be doing... fine. Although, he did a lot of whining and complaining while I was there."

Annie laughed. "Oh, really?" she asked in an amused tone. 

Garnet nodded. "Yes, and Zidane is doing fine, as well. I healed his wound on his shoulder for him."

"Oh, well that's good," Annie said, nodding in approval. "Did you inform them about lunch?"

"Yes, I did."

"Good. Well, we'll talk more later. Right now we need go find Daisy. I'll bet she's still searching 

around the palace for you."

**__**

Thank you, Daisy.

-----

Zidane landed on his rump with a loud thud right outside the Alexandria castle's grand kitchen. "Alright, alright! I'm going!" He hollered at the head chef, who had thrown him out, rubbing his sore butt as he stood up.

Alexandria castle's _angry _head chef - a tall, beefy man with a long, gray beard, wearing a white apron and matching chef's cap, with a wooden spoon in hand - walked to the entrance of the kitchen and shouted back, "Don't let me catch you in here again, or I'll call Captain Steiner on ya!" He waved his wooden spoon at Zidane. "You'll just hafta wait to see what we're havin' when lunch is ready!" And with that, the chef turned on his heel and stomped back into the kitchen. 

"Geez," Zidane muttered himself as he swished his tail a bit, making sure it was ok. "Grouchy ol' man..." All he'd wanted was to talk to the chefs and ask what they were having for lunch. He hadn't made it far in the kitchen. The head chef, including the other chefs in there, kicked him out before he could finish his sentence. What was up with that? He'd always wondered about that. It wasn't like he was going to go in and steal their recipes or mess with their food or anything. All places were like that, except for a few he'd been to. 

"_There _you are!"

__

Ruby. Zidane whirled around to see her coming down the hallway, her light blue curls bouncing around her shoulders, her eyes sparkling with laughter and a smile playing on her thin lips. "Hey, Ruby."

She stopped directly in front of him. "What're you doin' here? I thought you were supposed ta be restin' in yer room?"

Zidane shrugged. "I was feeling better so I decided to just check out the castle before lunch."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh."

She cleared her throat. "So how's the shoulder?"

"Fine, now." He moved his shoulder around in a circular motion, indicating that it was completely healed. 

She grinned. "Well, that's good."

"So have you seen Blank?"

"Yeah. Haven't you?"

"I went to his room, but he was sleeping."

"Ooh." She played with the hem of her short blue dress as she looked him over. "So what happened here, eh? I heard a lot of shoutin'."

He blew a strand of blond hair away from his eyes. "Oh, nothin'. I just wanted to see what was on the menu, but I guess it's gonna be a big surprise."

She chuckled. "Heh."

"Where's Baku?"

"Somewhere with the queen, I believe."

He arched an eyebrow. "The queen?"

"Yep. Ever since the incident, they've been spendin' time together 'talking'," Ruby said, putting just the slightest bit of emphasis in her last word. "I think they're becomin' perdy good buds." She winked. 

Zidane opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw a guard appear behind Ruby. 

"Lunch is ready," the guard said, nodding once, and turning and going back the way he came.

Zidane sighed. "Alright then, let's go to lunch!"

-----

"Doctor Tot, how good of you to join us," Brahne said sweetly - a little too sweetly for Baku's taste - putting on a pleasant smile. 

Doctor Tot - a tiny man with a huge nose that made up most of his face, the other part covered up by large spectacles - smiled back. "Thank you, Your Highness." He sat down at the other head of the table, directly across from Brahne, taking his hat off to reveal a mass of auburn hair. "Princess Garnet, it's good to see you again, as well," he said politely in her direction.

"Yes, Doctor Tot, it's been a long time," Garnet said from her seat directly across from him, a small smile forming on her soft lips.

"Yes, indeed, it has, hasn't it?" 

Baku sneezed. Everyone looked at him. Goddamn allergies.

"So, Doctor Tot, how is young Blank doing?" Brahne asked, taking her napkin from the table and gracefully placed it on her lap. "I haven't gotten a chance to go and see him myself yet." She looked to her right and smiled at him.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Damn her. Damn this whole thing. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to stay here. He didn't know why he was staying here. He should've just refused her and gone back to Lindblum. Why had he even taken her up on her offer? There was something in the way she had asked him. Something so sincere. She sounded like she really cared. But then again it just didn't seem right. It seemed like there was more to it than that.

"He seems to be doing fine now," Doctor Tot said, taking his napkin from the table and using it to clean his glasses. "That was quite some accident. He broke his leg in two places and he's got quite a few cuts and scrapes, but he should heal just fine."

"Oh well that's good," Brahne said with nonchalance. "Garnet here was worried sick about poor Blank and Zidane."

He looked over at Garnet to see her face turn beet red. Poor thing. "M-Mother…" she whispered, but trailed off in embarrassment.

Zidane, on the other hand, seemed to be pleased with what Brahne had said. That didn't surprise him. Zidane had had a little crush on the princess ever since he first laid eyes on her portrait.

"How long will it take for him to be able to get back on his feet?" Baku asked, trying not to sound too eager to leave, but failed miserably. Truth be known, it wasn't the fact that Brahne had offered to help them that bothered him - even though he was used to taking care of his band of thieves on his own and not depending on others - he just felt uncomfortable around her. 

She'd been asking for him and wanting to talk to him since last night. He'd had suspicions from the beginning and had been trying to avoid her all morning, but then he decided to just see what she wanted and get it over with. His decision hadn't eased his mind any, for all she wanted was to talk to him about meaningless nothings and about plays and poetry. 

"Oh, I'd say in about two weeks in the least," Doctor Tot said.

Great, just great. He looked over at the queen, searching for a reaction to the doctor's statement, and was relieved to find her expression void.

"And what of the spot light? Did they figure out how that happened?" a girl, one of the princess' friends, asked.

"There was a spot light loose up on the rigging," Baku explained. "William was repairing them right before the show. William's a good man. He's good at what he does, but he's getting old. He must've just missed one." Baku always stood up for his friends and people he loved. William was definitely one of them. He and William, they went way back, way before Tantalus was even established. 

All was silent for a while, and he wondered what had caused it. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Damn it all! What the hell was he doing here? He didn't belong here. He'd always felt uncomfortable around the "important" people. One other thing that made him feel almost as uncomfortable as being around these people was silence. He wished they were back on the theater ship. Or back in Lindblum, where there was always noise. Not here. Not this place. _This_ was a quiet, peaceful kingdom. 

-----

Finally, he was out of there. That had to be the quietest lunch he'd ever sat through. Doctor Tot, Brahne and Baku mostly conversed amongst themselves, every once and a while saying something to him or the princess or someone. From what he remembered, his friends had mostly talked about what happened last night - he hadn't really been paying attention. He'd sat there quietly most of the time, eating his food, thinking about the princess and occasionally stealing glances at her. 

"Would you like to go into town, sir?" 

Zidane stopped in front of the gondola. He'd been lost in thought again, he wasn't watching where he was going. "No, thank you. Sorry," he apologized to the soldier running the gondola. He turned and headed west toward the gardens. He needed a smoke.

He'd hoped she'd say something to him. But she hadn't said a damn thing, unless you count when she asked him to pass the green beans. She'd been too busy whispering and giggling with her friends. But he did recall catching her looking at him a couple of times. He smiled at that.

He reached a bank near the water surrounded by tall grass and some bushes that badly needed a trimming. That seemed like the perfect spot so he decided to make his way through the grass and sit near the water. 

The water was clear and crystal, the sun shining down on it, making it sparkle. He sat down on a large rock and took out a cigarette and lit it with a match. He took a drag and sighed, beginning to relax. He wondered what the princess or the queen would say if they knew that he smoked. That would be interesting. Even though he was of age to smoke, he was sure they wouldn't approve anyway. 

He rested his tail on the cool grass, moist with dew, and stretched out his long legs, the water lapping just at the tip of his boots. He took another drag and leaned his head back. His head still ached, but other than that he was perfectly fine. 

So he'd be spending two weeks at the castle. _With the princess._ The thought brought a smile to his lips. She was a real beauty. He couldn't get over that. He'd never seen anything like her in his life. She had no flaws. None whatsoever. He replayed in his mind the way she'd stood there nervously in his room, fidgeting with her hands, pursing her lips together. Those lips. Damn, he'd give anything to taste them. He betted they tasted as good as they looked, or even better.

She gave him such a hard-on. He recalled with embarrassment the way whenever she leaned forward to reach for her glass or something he saw a good amount of cleavage. He'd kept one arm rested over his lap the entire time to hide his arousal. He took a long drag and looked down at the water. "Damn," he muttered to himself. 

"Is someone there?" 

Startled, he went to put out his cigarette but burned himself with the tip. "Ah, shit!" he cursed out loud. He stood up and stomped on his cigarette and turned in the direction of the voice, hoping whoever it was hadn't caught him. 

And then he came face-to-face with _her. **Shit**._ "P-Princess Garnet?" he said in what he thought was a calm voice. 

She walked through the grass and stepped down onto the bank beside him. She was tall. Probably only a couple inches shorter than him. "I'm sorry," she apologized, sounding so innocent. "I thought I heard someone down here."

He swallowed. "Yeah, it was me."

"So I see…" She looked down at the crushed cigarette butt down by his feet, a small spiral of smoke still emitting from it. "What were you doing down here?" she asked, again sounding so pure and innocent, her dark eyes looking straight into his.

He looked away from her. "I… uh…" Honesty was always the best policy, was it not? It was obvious, anyway. "I think it's obvious…"

"You smoke?" It was more of a statement than a question.

He nodded, feeling suddenly ashamed. 

"Are you of age?" 

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen." 

"Oh." She actually sounded disappointed. "I see…"

"Yeah," he mumbled. He didn't know what to say. What did he say to a princess? He'd just been thinking about her a few minutes ago, thinking of what he could say, but now that she was here his mind was blank.

"Well, I'm sorry for bothering you--"

"No, you aren't bothering me." _Smooth, Zidane, real smooth. _"I just… uh…"

She bit on her bottom lip, trying to hold back a smile. But he saw it in her eyes anyway. Her eyes, he loved her eyes. They were big and round and dark, with long, black lashes. They were perfect. "So… um… you're feeling better, I assume?" she asked softly.

"Uh, yeah." He kicked himself mentally for being so stupid. "Yep. Couldn't be better."

She nodded, her hair falling around her face. "That's good… So, did you have a good lunch?"

She was trying to make conversation. That surprised him. Her, wanting to talk with a poor thief, a member of Tantalus. He smiled wryly. "Yeah, it was pretty good, I guess. The food was good, at least."

Again, she nodded. "Yes it was, wasn't it? Alberto is an exquisite chef."

__

A real pain in the ass too, he thought to himself. "Uh-huh." He went to grab another cigarette, but stopped himself, and instead just stuffed his hands inside his pockets. "So, what're you doing out here anyway?"

"I… I was just going for a walk," she explained hesitantly. "I believe I ate too much."

He didn't believe that. "Oh…"

"What?" she asked. "What is it?"

__

Could she read minds? he wondered. "It's nothing."

"No, please tell me," she said, her eyes pleading.

"No, really, it's nothing. I just--"

"Princess Garnet?"

It was a man. A soldier, he assumed. 

A tall man emerged from the barrier of tall grass and stood before them. "There you are, Princess. I've been looking everywhere for you." He glanced at Zidane and scowled. "I see you're talking with one of our 'guests'." The man's voice sounded disgusted. He didn't like that.

"Yes, Steiner, this is Zidane. He was injured during last night's accident too," she explained, gesturing toward him with a small, delicate hand. 

"I see. Well, it's good to see that you've fully recovered." Steiner didn't seem pleased at all. "Well, I'm sorry to break up your little meeting, but, Princess, you have lessons in a few moments."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot." She turned to Zidane. "I'm sorry. It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah…" 

And with that, she turned and made her way through the grass. Steiner stood until she was at the top of the bank before he faced Zidane and 'hmphed' at him and then followed in the princess' direction.

That guy was going to be a problem.

__

*****

A/N: Ugh, I must say, I think Chap. 2 sucks. I'm sorry. I'll try to do much better in the next chapter. I might even re-do this one, I'm not sure yet. Again, please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes to me and I'll try to fix them A.S.A.P. Thanks.

*****


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